|
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Oledan: Twists
By Radzini Oledan
Slice of Life
"What these young people lacked in financial resources, they were able to make up in terms of creativity and resourcefulness."
IT'S totally a new twist from the usual commercial films on which viewers would relatively exert zero-effort to think about the flow of the story and be mesmerized with the special effects that delight the senses. Instead, films developed by local filmmakers serve as counter discourses to the prevailing paradigm promoted and dictated by the national cinema.
On December 5, the Alchemy of Vision and Light Production lead by Dax Canedo opened the 1st Mindanao Film Festival to showcase the work of at least 12 groups of filmmakers in Davao City who have managed to produce their films despite their meager budget.
What these young people lacked in financial resources, they were able to make up in terms of creativity and resourcefulness. The products are quality local films, which mirror social realities and document the various initiatives on the ground.
These are filmmakers who are passionate in conveying the untold stories of ordinary people in what could be considered as "ordinary events" in their daily lives.
Filmmaking is still an untapped vehicle for building the culture of peace in Mindanao for in allowing young people to charge their creative energies in film production, we also convey the simple hopes and vision of every women and children for a humane life.
The Mindanao Film Fest is a big leap from a mode of commercial enterprise that captures an audience to realize a substantial profit, to one that seeks to harness the power of audiovisual medium to educate and bring about meaningful social change.
It is a cultural expression, which must be encouraged among young people. By articulating social content through films, it takes the raw material of local events and process them into products, which are themselves historical events and social forces.
The production of films and documentaries is also a venue in which the public takes part in the task of constructing meaning, which lays the framework for social development in Mindanao.
Gone are the days when Mindanawons are forced to rely on commercial filmmakers to set the tone on what films to watch. These are inspiring steps and young filmmakers in Davao and other parts of the region are leading the way.
(December 6, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
